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| Holiday travel has brought me back to the Florida Panhandle and the city of Fort Walton Beach. This is where I lived for about 8 years after college. Very much a spring break and summer resort, winter is kind of bleak here with temps much cooler than Orlando and the only winter tourists are snow birds. But the town is full of memories even if most of the club names have changed. My favorite club back in the 80's was called Victor's and it now goes by the name of The Block. There is still a huge dance club in the main section while karaoke is on the menu in one of the side rooms. Of course we didn't call the music 80's back then. Back when I was hanging out here, EVERY night turned out to be 80's Night, lol. |
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| Fuddpuckers is one of those dive beach bars built to look like a dive beach bar. Now a chain in the panhandle, this one located on Okaloosa Island was the first one and it still packs-in beach-goers after the sun goes down. It's also a restaurant earlier in the evening. Not to be confused with Fuddruckers. |
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| When it comes to Fort Walton Beach night clubs, no one played a larger part in their creation and variety than a guy named Cash Moore. Also located on Okaloosa Island, Cash's Faux Pas was a partying club long before I arrived in FWB and apparently is still going strong long after! |
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| Another favorite of mine was called Brannigan's but now goes by the name of Barley's. Located along US 98 /Miracle Strip Parkway in downtown Fort Walton Beach, the place was always jammed while the DJ played Top 40 which is now called 80's. Ladies Night on Thursday nights packed the place with tourists, especially those beautiful dark-haired Louisiana girls! NOT PICTURED: Another club that has been around forever is called NightTown over in neighboring Destin. Didn't get to check it out but advertisements in the tourist magazines tell me they're still carrying on! Looking for a weekend get-away this spring or next summer, you should give Fort Walton Beach some consideration. Home to two air force bases, there's always action taking place over here, especially in-season! |
It's great to reminisce! When I was growing up, we used to go on vacation to WDW and there was a place called Pleasure Island where we could go to different clubs all night long and every night they had a New Years Eve countdown with dancers on something called "The West End Stage" with fireworks and confetti all through the streets... Man, those were the days! Damn Mouse!!!
ReplyDeleteFuddpuckers looks kind of fun! Great pic......
ReplyDeleteFudpuckers reminds me of the "Rock N Roll Beach Club!"
ReplyDeleteFuddpuckers does have some rock bands playing during the tourist season. RRBC was kind of a play on such beach bars.
ReplyDeleteYes, I do seem to recall that place called Pleasure Island!
FWB and Destin were my stomping grounds in the late 70s. I loved going to Victor's. Do you remember Pandora's Wreck on the island? Also loved Hog's Breath over in Destin.
ReplyDeleteWhat was the nightclub almost all of the way down to the west end of the island, it was the first floor of a hotel or condo. About where "Bella Riva" is today.
ReplyDeleteDamn, it's on the tip of my tongue but I can't quite come up with the name. Something like Panama Joe's, Indiana Jones, or something like that!
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